We decided the best way to approach this was to build a new chassis. I had been looking for a Celette or Car O Liner chassis jig for ages but couldnt find one so made one, and had a few brackets cut out which were welded up. We used my 61 split to build the jig and brackets as my chassis is nice and original / straight. Here is the finished jig / brackets, and with the replacement chassis trial fitted to the jig:

Fitted the cab doors to check the gaps were all good before anything was braced or cut out. They are pretty good considering how bad the rest of the van is. The cargo door and gap needs some work. The door is pretty badly twisted:

Broke up now till the new year and I cant wait to get in and get stuck into this

Great to see another resto place taking the effort to build a chassis jig.

I was originally looking for a Celette or car-o-liner or similar. I missed out on one, and all the others I found were complete with the dozer that Im not too fussed about, and they were all really expensive... Building my own took ages but Im pretty pleased with it. All the brackets are removable so I can use it on Bays and Beetles too when I get around to making more brackets

Found a solid rear cut including the complete rear chassis rails so decided to use the whole rear end as the pressings were nicer than the repro chassis rails around where the support bar is welded. New piece tacked in place temporary:

The front inner chassis legs were flat and needed shaping to fit the bulge in the bulkhead:

Had a few days on a customers 66 we restored a couple of years go. It was never built to be a show car but he did a great job of all the assembly and I love it.... Anyway, he bought it to us to sort a few issues with the engine and gearbox. I sanded and mopped a few areas and helped detail it before the show:

Now Volksworlds all over, its back to real work. We got a bit more done on the chassis... Loads of hours but not a lot to show for it, enjoying it though.

We got the rear donor chassis / torsion housing section trimmed down and tidied up. We got the new chassis rails square and lined up the rear cut before tacking everything in place. Then got the sills, I beams etc mocked up and once happy panel pinned in place:

Once we were happy everything was in the right place we seamed the join in the chassis rails up where the factory join is. Bit gutted, was hoping these would come out perfect as they wont be ground flush. They are not bad, but not my best welding:

Spot welded the sills to the I beams and top hats. The complete floor support framework finished but not welded to the chassis just yet:

We got the front and rear outriggers and cross members pinned in place, once happy we took them apart and spot welded the rear cross member to the inner sections of the chassis rails before they were fitted:

Then we spot welded the rear outriggers to the chassis before the rear crossmember 'assembly' was welded in place. We painted epoxy and weld in all the box sections, and weld through primer on all the spot welded sections before anything was welded for maximum protection.

After the outriggers were welded, we spot welded the 'cross member assembly' in place trying to make it look as factory as possible.

Seaming up the torsion housings:

Repaired the rotten lower sections of the beam mounting plates. Now ready to fit to the new chassis rails:

The other side needed the threaded tube welding back in place:

Outer section on the other side repaired too:

They were a slightly different profile along the top edge compared to the new chassis rails, after a bit of messing about they fit nice: